Actor Lee Sung-min expressed his deep affection and pride for his profession.
On the 25th, Lee Sung-min, who stars in the film 'No Other Choice', was interviewed at a cafe in Sogyeok-dong, Seoul.
'No Other Choice' tells the story of Mansu, who, after being suddenly laid off from a paper company where he worked for 25 years, struggles to find reemployment. Lee Sung-min plays the role of Gu Beom-mo, a veteran in the paper industry desperate to find a new job.
Lee Sung-min shared, "I try to find similarities with the characters I play, but Beom-mo's personality and preferences are not like mine. The characters I've portrayed so far haven't been that ordinary. Whether it's a detective or a criminal, characters with special jobs or situations are easier to grasp. But portraying an ordinary office worker was challenging. That's why playing ordinary characters can be more burdensome."
Lee Sung-min found common ground with Beom-mo in his pride for his work. He said, "What made it easier to understand Beom-mo was his self-esteem regarding his profession." He continued, "I don't think the characters in the film are simply wandering because they lost their jobs. As Ara (Beom-mo's wife) says, even if unemployed, they could work in cafes or other jobs. Ara's point is valid. But comparing it to 'Actor Lee Sung-min', the similarity with Beom-mo is that he has only done one thing his entire life." He added, "I, too, have only acted since graduating high school. It's a bit funny, but I don't know how to do anything else."
Lee Sung-min pondered, "If I were to stop acting due to an accident or injury, not by choice, what would I do? I still have a long life ahead and a family to support, so I would need to find another job. But for me, this job is more than just earning money or supporting my family. It's about existence." He expressed his love for acting, saying, "Could I live with another job? That point made it easier to understand not only Mansu but also Beom-mo. It might seem like a silly excuse, but for Beom-mo, making paper is about feeling alive. If I were in Beom-mo's position, I wouldn't know what to do either."
From dreaming of becoming an actor in high school to his days as a theater actor in Daehangno and enduring a long period of obscurity, Lee Sung-min has faced many challenges in his acting career but has never given up on his passion for acting. He said, "I actually wanted to quit after 10 years because it was tough, but I realized I didn't know how to do anything else. I even quit theater in my mid-20s and did manual labor, but it was too hard. I thought it would be better to do theater." He smiled and added, "After doing this for over 10 years, I couldn't give up. I had nowhere else to go. Not knowing how to do anything else made it harder to do other jobs. For me, acting is about my existence. If I were to quit one day, I wouldn't be able to do anything. That's why I understand Beom-mo. I joined a theater troupe at 20 and have been acting for 20-30 years. Oh, it's been a long time. Now I can't do anything else." He also shared, "I told my daughter, 'Dad only knows how to do this. I think this makes me happy. I don't even have hobbies or know how to travel. I hope you don't end up like me. I hope you do what you want to do.' I continued acting because I didn't know how to do anything else. I need to stay healthy and uninjured." He laughed.
By Kim Ji-won, TenAsia Reporter bella@tenasia.co.kr